Jacksonville rapper Hakeem 'Ksoo' Robinson's request for a new trial in the 2020 murder of local rapper Charles 'Lil Buck' McCormick Jr. was denied by a judge on Tuesday. Robinson, who was supposed to receive his sentencing on Monday, appeared in Duval County court instead to hear his attorneys' arguments for a new trial. According to News4Jax, the judge denied the request and set the sentencing date for Sept. 19 at 10 a.m.
The defense's motion detailed several points they believed warranted a retrial, including the admission of iCloud notes during the trial that were described as "highly prejudicial" and not related to the charges against Robinson, and an alteration in testimony regarding the suspect's height, which was a critical factor. The officer initially identified the suspect's height as considerably shorter than Robinson's actual height. Despite these issues, the judge ruled during the trial that the prosecution's failure to disclose the altered testimony was "inadvertent and not prejudicial", as reported by News4Jax.
Robinson's attorney also cited concerns with the "misuse of state demonstratives and improper expert testimony," claiming jurors were influenced by visuals that were not admitted as evidence. Additionally, there were claims of unequal treatment during jury selection, with the state permitted to use visual aids that the defense was not. These elements, the defense argued, compromised the fairness of the trial according to a First Coast News report.
Robinson's brother, Abdul Robinson Jr., who is also charged in McCormick's murder, awaits a separate trial. Together with cousin Leroy Whitaker Jr., who has already been found guilty of first-degree murder and burglary in the same case, Robinson's legal team continues to fight the conviction's validity. "The content was highly inflammatory, unrelated to the charges, and offered minimal probative value," Robinson's attorneys were quoted, according to a First Coast News article, highlighting the contentious admission of iPhone evidence.
Prosecutors presented surveillance footage that links Robinson to the shooting, leaving him facing life imprisonment for first-degree murder. His sentence will be decided in the coming weeks, Action News Jax reported.
